‘New country’ KSON-FM on top for third straight month

San Diegans get extra coverage of Globes; polarizing comedy ‘Girls’ returns to HBO

FILE - This Sept. 21, 2012 photo shows country singer Jason Aldean performing at the iHeart Radio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. Aldean is one of the top artists that has helped KSON-FM to the top of the San Diego radio ratings. (Photo by Eric Reed/Invision/AP, file)
— ERIC REED/INVISION/AP

FILE - This Sept. 21, 2012 photo shows country singer Jason Aldean performing at the iHeart Radio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. Aldean is one of the top artists that has helped KSON-FM to the top of the San Diego radio ratings. (Photo by Eric Reed/Invision/AP, file)
/ ERIC REED/INVISION/AP

San Diego, home of sun and sand, Shamu and the zoo, and everybody listening to the radio for … country music?

Don’t laugh.

For the third straight month and the eighth time in 10 months, KSON-FM (97.3 and 92.1), San Diego’s “New Country” station, finished atop the Arbitron ratings for persons 12 and older. And the gap between No. 1 and No. 2 — KHTS-FM, Channel 933 — jumped from tiny in November (5.9 share to 5.8) to rather significant in December (7.2 to 5.4).

“I’d love to take all the credit for it, and I’m sure Kevin (Callahan, program director) would, too, but the format is just so strong,” said Rick Jackson, general manager of Lincoln Financial Media, which owns KSON. “Nationwide it’s doing well. There’s a lot of diversification, from Taylor Swift to Eric Church to Jason Aldean … a lot of people selling a lot of records and driving strong radio play.”

Jackson knows KSON’s success doesn’t mean country is the most popular format in San Diego. But it’s probably more popular than outsiders would think (never underestimate the diversity of our county), and KSON is the only station playing it; the station’s last competitor, Clear Channel-owned KUSS-FM, switched away from country in 2011.

And the ratings aren’t the only indication that Jackson and Callahan are doing something right. In September the station won a Marconi Radio Award from the National Association of Broadcasters as “Large Market Station of the Year.”

• In the San Diego ratings, KPBS-FM (89.5), KYXY-FM (96.5) and KIFM-FM (Smooth FM 98.1, another Lincoln station) rounded out the top five in December. KFMB-FM (100.7 Jack FM), KGB-FM (101.5) and KIOZ-FM (Rock 105.3) were close behind.

Golden weekend

NBC is going all-out for the Golden Globes on Sunday, and San Diegans get extra programming thanks to the local affiliate, KNSD Channel 7/39, being owned by the network.

Instead of programming starting at 4 p.m. as in most cities, NBC 7/39 will begin at 3 p.m. with “1st Look Live on the Red Carpet,” hosted by Shaun Robinson of “Access Hollywood” with correspondents Ali Fedotowsky, Sara Gore and Lilliana Vazquez. It’s an extra hour of red carpet interviews … and who doesn’t love those, right? That precedes the national red carpet show at 4 hosted by Carson Daly, Natalie Morales and Jeannie Mai.

The ceremony, hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, begins at 5.

• For those looking for an alternative, E! Network will have Ryan Seacrest — he must need the work — and Giuliana Rancic hosting red carpet coverage starting at 3 p.m., with a “Countdown” show beginning at 2.

Now Hear This

Tonight at 6 p.m. marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of 91X, which makes many of us feel pretty old.

Chris Cantore, U-T San Diego director of lifestyle and entertainment and a 91X alum, will be writing more about this next week, but we’ll mark the anniversary with a trivia question: